


As a courtesy between captains

by Melie



Series: Author's Favourites/Mélie's Sampler [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Adults, Aged-Up Character(s), Cute, Engagement, Established Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Established Relationship, Established Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Fluff, M/M, Relationship(s), warning for extreme cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 14:19:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11922696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melie/pseuds/Melie
Summary: Over the years, Kuroo has delighted in finding ways to tell the world that Kei is his. A big shiny ring is only the next logical step.There's just one last problem: he needs Daichi to propose to the love ofhislife first.





	As a courtesy between captains

**Author's Note:**

> [Actual footage of me writing this fic.](https://media.giphy.com/media/FOL5mK0tXUmXe/giphy.gif)

“You did _what_?”

“Technically,” Kuroo noted, and Daichi could hear his insufferable grin over the phone, “I haven't done anything _yet_. Which is why I'm calling you now, to give you a headstart, so to speak.”

“I'm not sure I understand.”

“I've waited long enough, Sawamura. As a courtesy between captains, if only because your relationship had a couple of years on mine, I waited patiently for you to get on with it. But it's been years, now, and frankly... I really thought you'd have done it sooner. Which is why I'm taking back the pledge I made to myself.”

“You never-”

“Yeah, well, it seemed obvious, didn't it? From the way you two were looking at each other, from how... blisffully domestic your relationship was from the very start. I was half convinced that you'd pop the question right after nationals, actually. I  even placed a bet on it with Tsukki and Kenma. So far it looks like Tsukki's winning, by the way.”

“Wh-what did he bet on?”

“That you'd never actually do it.”

Daichi rubbed his forehead with his left hand, the right one still holding the phone.

It wasn't that the thought had never crossed his mind, far from it. It had actually been there right from the very beginning. It seemed part of the package, another step down the long, long path they would be walking hand in hand. Going to college, getting their first flat, their first jobs, their first house. Then engagement, marriage, maybe kids down the line – he still wasn't sure what he thought of that last one, and neither was Suga.

From the very moment they had started dating, and, actually, even from before that, Daichi had been unable to imagine his life without Koushi. Everything they did, everything they would ever do, it would be together. Of course marriage had been part of the deal, it just seemed natural.

Yet it didn't mean that Daichi obsessed over it. He'd never thought out the details, never imagined himself actually saying the words, never made a list of guests in his head. Marriage was just something that was bound to happen, in between making the bed and washing the dishes and having breakfast together and going out to meet Asahi and watching (and playing in) volleyball matches and all those little things they did and would always do.

“I'm sorry,” Kuroo said, and his voice did seem slightly bashful. “I should probably have asked before making assumptions. Not everyone wants to go down that line-”

“How long can you wait?”

Plans. Daichi was good at plans. You didn't become a volleyball captain without at least some sense of strategy.

Ring first. That seemed obvious. Then figure out the where and when, although the latter pretty much hung on Kuroo's answer.

“I'll give you a week. As a courtesy between captains.”

He must have really liked that line.

“Thanks, Kuroo. I appreciate it.”

“You'll owe me one, though, so if our wedding dates end up clashing...”

“Do you think he'll actually say yes?”

“Which one? Yours or mine?”

Daichi had meant Tsukishima. As much as his former teammate softened around Kuroo (and yet not too much at the same time, it was quite fascinating to watch actually), Daichi found himself unable to predict his reaction.

But now that Kuroo had said that, fear rushed through him.

It _was_ a good question.

After all, Suga had never proposed either, and there was no absolute reason why it shouldn't be him. Perhaps he wouldn't want this, content to keep on going as they were. Not that marriage would actually _change_ anything, but... what if it did?

“Breathe, Daichi. Out of the two of us, I'm pretty sure _you_ 're not the one who should be shaking in his boots right now.”

“Are you? Shaking in your boots?”

“As if I'd ever admit that to you!”

Kuroo's laugh lacked a bit of its usual fierceness, which was enough of an answer in itself, but Daichi decided to let it go.

“One week, then?”

“One week,” Kuroo confirmed. “And not a second more. Don't let me down, captain.”

“Yeah, I won't. You sure your boots are going to last that long?”

Okay, so maybe he wasn't exactly ready to let that go just yet.

“Don't worry about me. I'm not the one who has a week to find the perfect ring...”

“Bastard.”

Another laugh. They both hung up at the same time.

Daichi put his phone back on the kitchen table and glanced towards their bedroom, remembering the morning. How Suga had stumbled out of bed, a few minutes late on his schedule. How Daichi had made them coffee and how they'd drunk it together, as they always did even when one of them was had a day off. How they'd kissed before Suga left; they always meant it to be just a peck on the lips but it never failed to become something longer, deeper, and at least one of them had to readjust his clothes before crossing the threshold.

Marriage would not change any of that. Nothing could ever change it.

Daichi sighed and went to get his coat. Kuroo was right: finding the perfect ring for the perfect man was not going to be easy, so he'd better get started right away.

 

* * *

 

Over the years, Tetsurou had delighted in finding ways to tell, or remind, the universe that Kei was his – once they'd both been comfortable enough to share that fact with anyone, obviously.

One of his favourite things early on had been to hide away all of Tsukki's tops whenever he visited him, at home or in his college appartment, so that he'd have to go back to Sendai wearing Tetsurou's clothes. He still did it occasionally, getting up early to stash the immaculate shirt Kei had prepared for himself somewhere, and replacing it with his own (he'd even bought a few fancy ones to that effect). Tetsurou suspected that Kei knew all of his hiding places by now (the ones big enough for clothes anyways), yet he always took what he was offered, albeit with a glare.

Whenever Karasuno had gone to nationals again in Kei's second and third year there, Tetsurou had contemplated stealing him for a few moments before his matches in order to give him the biggest hickey ever. He'd always ended up deciding against it, though, as that would have been too mean, and instead simply stole Kei away for a good old fashioned making out. (Funnily enough, Tetsurou himself had been the one sporting a hickey during an especially memorable semi-finale, and he'd worn it with pride from the supporters' stands.)

He prepared sumpteous lunches for Kei to display at work. Held his hand as often as possible when they were walking together. Kissed him on the cheek in the middle of conversations.

Fell in love all over again every single time he saw that slight blush on his partner's face, every single time Kei tilted his head down and pushed his glasses back up but didn't say anything. Not only accepting his fate, but not-so-secretly reveling in it.

So Tetsurou liked to tell the world, no, the universe, that Kei was his. And Kei did the same in his own ways, every time he used his fingers or (when he was a little bit tipsy) his lips to brush away a bit of food at the corner of Tetsurou's mouth, every time he called him “Tetsu” in public, every time he rearranged his clothes for him or showed up at his office so they'd get home together.

It had been years since their long-distance beginnings, but it seemed that they hadn't had enough of each other yet.

A big shiny ring was just the next logical step.

 

* * *

 

It had been two days since Kuroo's ultimatum of sorts, and Daichi still hadn't found what he was looking for.

As much as he would have loved to shower Suga in pretty things, he also knew that the love of his life wasn't a fan of shiny things, so he'd resolved to get something more subtle. Beautiful and elegant, with either a very small diamond or none at all.

But nothing clicked.

He'd spent most of his free time in jewellries (while making sure he always came home before Koushi so as to avoid suspicion), even going as far as skipping lunch, to no avail. He wanted the perfect ring, the one he'd know just by looking at it that it was for Suga, for them. And so far that wasn't happening.

Until, finally, it did.

Daichi found it in a small shop, slightly outside of his usual way to work. He'd started taking small detours on his morning walk from the station in order to cover more ground. He wasn't expecting much when he looked at the window display, but then stopped right in his tracks.

That was it.

A slim platinum band with a slight wavy form and a very thin line of diamonds encrusted in it. It was perfect.

Daichi rushed inside the store with a smile on his face, texting work to let them know he'd be a few minutes late.

 

* * *

 

“Any news from Sendai?”

Kei frowned and shot him an inquisitive glance before answering:

“Not since Yamaguchi's last call, which I already told you everything about. Why?”

Tetsurou shrugged, leaned down to grab his hot chocolate with his left hand – his right arm was currently wrapped around Kei's shoulders, but he'd mastered such basic multitasking ages ago.

“Just wondering. Like, have Kageyama and Hinata blown up their new home yet?”

“Personally, I'd prefer not to have the answer to that question.”

“Sure. When are we visiting next, by the way?”

“Is there something you're not telling me?”

That was the problem with living with someone very intelligent, and who knew him so well. It was hard to get anything past Tsukki – and vice versa.

He'd have to be careful there. Not only to dispel any of Kei's suspicions, but also to avoid chipping his carefully built-up self-confidence. Kei could still be full of doubts – not about them, but literally anything else – and even though they'd both learnt to deal with that, Tetsurou would rather that the problem did not present itself.

“I was just talking to Daichi the other day. Captain to captain, you know. It brought memories back.”

“ _Former_ captain to captain.”

“Do you really need to bring that up?”

“In one word: yes.”

“You're mean, Tsukki.”

“And _you_ must really be missing your diving receives. We might have to do something about that.”

That look. That mischievous, relaxed look. Kei reeked of comfort, of trust. His jibes, just like Kuroo's jibes, never meant for one second that that love wasn't there any more. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Both of them sitting on the couch, propped against each other, a TV they weren't watching in the background. They'd waited years for that, to be able to share all of their evenings in such a manner.

It was nice, not to be constantly missing a part of themselves.

“Are you trying to pull rank on me?” Kuroo shot back. “Because remember that in this house, you're...”

“Still your captain.”

“I never agreed to this.”

“You _suggested me to the team_ , idiot.”

“Well you just wait 'till we hold another election and...”

“And you're going to vote for me, again. It's been two years, Tetsu. I think it's fair to assume you're just used to me being in charge by now.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Tetsurou put his mug back on their coffee table before swooping down on Kei, pushing his back to the couch.

“Do you feel in charge now?” he teased before coming down for a kiss, gently parting Tsukki's lips until he felt a hand at his collar, pulling him in.

“Completely,” Kei answered, his face red.

Worst thing was, he wasn't exactly wrong either, and they both knew it.

 

* * *

 

 

He only had twenty-four hours left, all because he'd spent the last three days panicking.

The ring was carefully hidden at work – everything in Suga and Daichi's flat was _theirs_ , so it would probably have been found otherwise. So that part, at least, was sorted.

Except that nothing else was. Daichi had simply no idea _how_ to propose. Sure, he understood the mechanics of it, and there were things he knew from instinct (that it wouldn't be done in public, for instance), but how was he going to make this moment _theirs_ , like everything else was? What could possibly make it beautiful and perfect, apart from Suga actually saying “yes”?

So in the end, with less than one day to spare, Daichi decided that that would be just it. The proposal itself would have to be the big moment, not anything that could surround it.

He also decided, just as he was leaving work, that he would have to do it on that day, lest he started panicking again and pushed it back. So he brought the little box with him.

It wasn't really about Kuroo's deadline any more. After all, now that he had that damn ring, he could ask Suga at any time in the future. And who cared that they had “seniority” over Kuroo and Tsukki, if those two got engaged first, it did not matter one bit.

Except that now the ball was rolling, and Daichi didn't really want it to stop.

“ _Would you warn me five minutes before you get home?_ ”

He felt like his heart was going to burst as he sent the text. At least, this way, he'd have five minutes precisely (and Suga knew how to be precise) to prepare himself. Maybe he'd even wait on his knee, make the ring the first thing Koushi would see as he opened the door.

“ _Sure. You preparing me a bath?_ ”

Daichi blinked twice.

Of course that was to be Suga's assumption, either a bath or a meal that needed to be timed perfectly.

He might as well keep rolling with that ball while he was at it.

“ _Yup, that's it. See you soon! x_ ”

“ _See you soon <3_”

He nearly ran to the bathroom before remembering that Suga hadn't _actually_ sent him that five minutes warning text just yet.

 

* * *

 

 

Tetsurou checked his watch. Twenty-four hours.

In twenty-four hours tops, he'd be doing one of the most terrifying things he'd ever done in his young life.

He tried to remember if he'd felt that nervous when he had to play at the nationals. Probably not. The fact that half his brain was busy thinking about how he'd see Tsukki again was probably the reason why.

“You alright? You look pale.”

Whenever he came back from work, Kei needed his “me time”. Sometimes, it meant resting in the bedroom on his own. Other days, like this one, he simply sat at the kitchen table, a book in one hand and tea in the other – every now and then, Tetsurou would get him some strawberry shortcake to go with that. Which he might do for the next day, actually.

“I'm fine," he answered. "Just a bit of a headache.”

“I got more paracetamol from the pharmacy the other day, so don't hesitate to take one.”

“Look at you, all organised.”

“Says the man who never lets the laundry basket fill over the halfway mark.”

They smiled at each other, and Tetsurou tried to concentrate on the notes he was taking for his report.

Twenty-four hours.

“Love you, by the way.”

“Love you too,” Kei immediately answered, as he always did.

Twenty-four hours at worst, and they'd be engaged. Hopefully.

 

* * *

 

Husbands.

The word hit him a couple of minutes after he finally got Suga's text.

If all went well, they would become husbands. Officially, at least – a lot of people had been calling them that since high school, after all. But this was different.

He was going to be Suga's husband. Suga would be his husband.

That's what it meant, down the line; the ring, the engagement: that's what it led to. A change in the way they'd introduce each other.

“Oh, boy.”

He sighed, checking once again that the water was running at the right temperature, when he heard the key in the door.

“Honey, I'm home!”

 _Husband, I'm home._ Would that work?

Daichi did his best to push all those thoughts to the side and Act Normal. Not that acting normal had ever been his forte when Suga was concerned.

“I'm in here!” he shouted, although Koushi would probably have been able to come to that conclusion on his own.

Suga was just as he'd seen him leave: his brown jacket half open, the blue scarf sitting perfeclty on his shoulder. He was due a haircut and would no doubt schedule one soon; those beautiful silver locks were getting slightly out of hand. His cheeks were a bit red from walking in the cold as fall slowly turned into winter, but the soft smile stayed on.

And oh, what a smile it was. Especially as it seemed to get brighter whenever he was directing it at Daichi.

“Nearly good to go.”

“Oh, that's perfect. You have no idea how much I need that bath.”

“How was your day?”

Suga nearly always worked longer hours than he did, if only because he preferred to prepare his classes from school rather than bring anything back home. But on top of that, there were often parents or colleagues to meet, and extra-curricular activities to supervise – naturally, he was the school advisor for the volleyball team.

“Hectic as usual. There's no taming those kids.”

“You tamed everyone in Karasuno.”

“One,” Koushi objected as he kissed Daichi's cheek, “they were high-school kids, not junior-high ones. And two,” he added with another kiss, “I had you.”

“If you'd like, I could come in and terrify them...”

“You're going to regret offering that.”

As he talked, Koushi finished unbuttoning his jacket. Daichi took it off his shoulders, as well as the scarf, and went to put them on the mantelpiece in the hallway. When he got back, Suga had slipped off his top and was busy unbuckling his belt. Daichi's eyes rested on the slender back for a while, and it didn't take him long to cross the few steps that separated them in order to place a trail of kisses on that perfect neck.

“Hey, hey, I said I needed a bath,” Suga reminded him cheerfully (while lifting Daichi's head and directing his kisses towards his lips).

“Then get in it.”

Soon the jeans and boxers joined the shirt, right into the laundry basket, and then Koushi was sinking into the bath with a sigh of pleasure that made Daichi's heart (and other parts of him) act a little bit funny.

“Care to join me?”

“Not this time, no. This one's all for you.”

He had to keep his act together.

He watched as Suga relaxed, eyes half-closed, arms laying flat on either side of the bathtub.

“Is the temperature okay?”

“It's absolutely perfect. You know how to spoil me...”

“And vice versa.”

Slowly, Daichi knelt down by the tub, hoping that Suga wouldn't notice how much his legs were shaking. Koushi immediately placed his hand behind the back of his head, fingers curling in dark hair.

“This is really nice, Daichi.”

“Yeah. It is.”

His voice had wavered, ever-so-slightly. He thought it'd slipped by, unnoticed, but then Suga open an eye.

“Everything okay?”

It was now or never.

Daichi took a deep breath, and reached for his back pocket. He hadn't left the ring in the box – it would have been too obvious, too easily noticed, especially if Koushi's hands got greedy and started exploring, which could sometimes happen.

So it was just a ring which he held up, praying that it wouldn't slip out of his fingers and into the bath (because that would have been really embarassing).

He didn't dare look at Suga at first. Not just that: he couldn't, his mind too busy finding the words he'd been repeating to himself all week.

“Will... would... would you please do me the honour of...”

“Yes.”

Even before he realised what the answer had been, Daichi was grateful for being cut short. It was not as if the rest of the sentence mattered, anyway.

But then it hit him. Just as Suga repeated it.

“Yes,” Suga was saying, his cheeks red but no longer from the cold outside or from the heat of the bath, “I will marry you, Daichi.”

“Oh.”

“Had... had you been expecting any other answer?”

“No!”

He nearly dropped the ring at that, but Koushi caught it before it hit the water.

“It's beautiful,” he noted, admiring it.

“It'll probably be even more beautiful if you put it on.”

“You vile flatterer.”

Suga presented his hand, and it took Daichi a few seconds to register that he was supposed to slip the ring on it. Which he did – and thankfully remembered which finger it was supposed to go on, because _that_ would have been really embarassing as well.

“So this is it then,” Koushi said, almost to himself.

“Yes,” Daichi sighed. “This is it.”

“I love you so much.”

They kissed. It didn't feel any different from the one they'd shared a few minutes ago, before they were officially engaged. And that was the key, wasn't it: that they would still kiss, and cuddle, and take baths, and drink coffee in the mornings, but now Suga was wearing a pretty ring and someday they would both have wedding bands and call each other “husband” for real.

“You know what's funny?”

Daichi shook his head.

“What?”

“I'd actually planned to propose on our ten-year anniversary. I just hadn't picked the ring yet since it's in a couple of months.”

That would have been really beautiful and romantic and perfect. Daichi cursed himself, before remembering who had actually put him in that position.

“Stupid Kuroo...”

“Kuroo?”

“Long story. Which reminds me... I need to take a picture.”

Suga rose his perfect eyebrows.

 

* * *

 

The distinct ring that signaled a text message filled the air. Tetsurou picked up his phone, had a quick look to see who'd sent it. Decided to head to the bedroom.

“I'll be right back.”

Kei only nodded, still busy reading his book, the tea nearly cold – it must have been a good book.

_Sawamura Daichi sent you a picture_

Tetsurou looked at it, and smiled. You could see the slight puzzlement in Suga's eyes, but his grin was real nonetheless. For once, Daichi's beam seemed the brightest, as he proudly presented his fiancé's hand to the camera.

“ _Congrats!!_ ” Kuroo sent back, before adding: “ _My turn now._ ”

And it was. It had to be. Now or never. There would be no strawberry shortcake to accompany the proposal, but he didn't need it.

He'd hidden the small box in the inside pocket of his best suit, which hung forgotten in his wardrobe, only to be taken out in special occasions. Kei rarely went to that wardrobe, as he had his own, so it was a safe spot.

Tetsurou took a last look at it, the gold band, the diamond shiny and just big enough that Kei would be slightly peeved that he'd have to carry it around everywhere (but not _too_ peeved). It was quite a pretty ring, not subtle but not obnoxious either.

He closed the box and headed back to the kitchen.

He'd spent quite a bit of time repeating his next move, so that it would go smoothly.

In one fell swoop, Tetsurou put one knee to the ground, took the box out of the pocket he'd stashed it in, and opened it.

“Marry me.”

Kei's hands hung in mid-air, one still holding his book, the other closed tightly around the mug he was bringing to his lips. He let go off the book first, tilted his head, pushed his glasses back up his nose, trying and failing to hide his blush.

His voice was surprisingly steady, though.

“Shouldn't you say 'please'?”

Tetsurou's grin only grew wider.

“Marry me, _please_?”

There was a slight nod.

“You gotta say it, Kei, or it doesn't count.”

“You are really something else, do you know that?”

“Is that something else going to be your husband someday?”

“Yes. Damn you.”

Tetsurou jumped back to his feet, but what he hadn't expected was for Kei to do the same, mug reaching the table in a loud clang. They collided more than they kissed, and Tetsurou could have sworn that Tsukki was as surprised as him about it.

Kei put the ring on without too much complaining. He would not stop staring at it for most of the evening, although he'd try to be subtle about it.

“It's not going to disappear, you know.”

“Unless you keep teasing me about it.”

“I can't wait to see the team's reaction...”

“Which team?”

“All of them.”

“Let me guess: you've already told Kenma.”

“Of course! Oh, and that reminds me: he won that bet.”

“Which bet would that be now?”

“The one about Suga and Daichi. Remember: he'd wagered on 'maybe when they're adults'.”

“... Tetsurou, what did you do.”

“Me? Nothing, I swear.”

Their banter was cut short when both of their phones buzzed at the same time. Kei grabbed his first, and frowned.

“You've got to be kidding me...”

 

* * *

 

“Are you KIDDING ME?!”

Daichi dropped his phone on the couch, unlocked, Bokuto's mass text (“GUYS YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I JUST DID” followed by a picture of a frowning Akaashi wearing a very obnoxious ring), still displayed for everyone to see.

Suga tilted his head back, grabbed his ribs, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

Daichi wasn't long to join him.

 


End file.
